State Of Amazonas Research Articles

Ação política em saúde de pessoas trans em Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil

Abstract This article describes the political action repertoire mobilized in the construction of public health policy for trans persons in the Manaus, capital city of the state of Amazonas, in northern Brazil. It is based on ethnographic research combining participant observation in the multiple sites where these policies are constructed and interviews with members of two transgender rights organizations in Manaus, between January 2016 and July 2018. Four modes of political action were reconstructed, as ideal types, named after native categories: those of confrontation, others of “articulation”, the ones seeking visibility and others collaboration. Each mode has the local society as public and agents of the municipal and state Judiciary, Legislative and Executive bodies sometimes as adversaries, sometimes as allies.

Political action in the health of transgender people in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.

This article describes the political action repertoire mobilized in the construction of public health policy for trans persons in the Manaus, capital city of the state of Amazonas, in northern Brazil. It is based on ethnographic research combining participant observation in the multiple sites where these policies are constructed and interviews with members of two transgender rights organizations in Manaus, between January 2016 and July 2018. Four modes of political action were reconstructed, as ideal types, named after native categories: those of confrontation, others of "articulation", the ones seeking visibility and others collaboration. Each mode has the local society as public and agents of the municipal and state Judiciary, Legislative and Executive bodies sometimes as adversaries, sometimes as allies.

Challenges for the implementation of the jurisdictional REDD+ in the Brazilian state of Amazonas

The forestry sectors of developing countries can contribute to the fight against climate change through financial negotiations, which include the REDD+ mechanism. The jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) approach has emerged as an option for large countries, such as Brazil, which have profound regional idiosyncrasies that can influence the dynamics of the implementation of a REDD+ system. The study analyzes the implementation of a J-REDD+ system in the Brazilian state of Amazonas, between 2005 and 2022, based on the analysis of official documents and academic studies. The data were used to compile a SWOT matrix, which was employed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats involved in implementing the J-REDD+ in the state. This analysis revealed that the principal forces include public policy, the combat of deforestation, governance, monitoring, and the targets for reducing deforestation rates. The primary weaknesses include the lack of a state REDD+ plan, recent increases in deforestation rates, strategic challenges, the limited representation of traditional and indigenous peoples on advisory councils, and the lack of adequate transparency mechanisms. External opportunities lie in the potential for increasing the funding for projects, although the external threats include a lack of continuous funding, changes in the composition of working bodies, and the discontinuous nature of local government programs. These findings indicate that implementation of J-REDD+ at both state levels will be crucial to ensure that this approach provides an effective mechanism for the mitigation of climate change, as well as achieving present and future goals for conservation and sustainable development.

Catasetum queirozii (Orchidaceae: Catasetinae): uma nova espécie da Amazônia brasileira

ABSTRACT This study presents a new orchid species of the genus Catasetum belonging to the group of species with symmetrical and parallel antennae. It was found in terra-firme and floodplain forests in the Brazilian states of Amazonas and Pará. We provide a formal description of the new species, images, and notes on distribution, habitat, phenology, flower visitors and preliminary conservation status. We compare it with C. cristatum and C. barbatum, both sympatric and morphologically most similar to the new species. It was preliminarily classified in the Endangered (EN) category according to IUCN criteria based on the extent of occurrence, area of occupation, number of occurrence locations and the risks that the known populations are exposed to (deforestation and predatory collection).

Subluxation associated with soft tissue trauma in a pediatric patient: clinical case report

Dental traumas are seen in the literature as injuries that are caused by impacts on the teeth and/or hard and soft tissues inside or outside the oral cavity. The objective herein is to report the technique performed at the Amazonas State University on a 3-year-old patient, who had necrotic tissue in the anterior region of alveolar and gingival mucosa, due to trauma suffered in this region 14 days previously. Radiographically, the dental elements showed no impairment. First, scraping of necrotic tissue was performed, which resulted in severe exposure of periosteal tissue, followed by tissue synthesis by suturing and the application of surgical cement for the purpose of cicatricial stimulation. The elements 51 and 61 presented mobility, thus semi-flexible containment were performed for stabilization of the elements. The follow-up was carried out over a period of 12 months, and it was concluded that the therapeutic approach was the correct one for the case of dentoalveolar trauma as described above. Emphasis of the importance of the collaboration of those responsible for the child’s oral hygiene and good immune response of the patient resulted in an effective treatment with favorable outcome.

Impact of collection from indigenous lands on the municipal solid waste management system: A case study in the Amazon

In the Amazon, solid waste collection is generally restricted to urban areas, excluding indigenous lands and rural areas. The objective of this research was to analyse the impact of collecting waste generated from indigenous lands on the municipal solid waste (MSW) management system, through life cycle assessment (LCA). A case study in the Humaitá city, state of Amazonas, Brazil, was based on life cycle inventory data, obtained from literature and field surveys, such as the waste gravimetry. The LCA followed the model proposed by ISO 14040 and 14044 and estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for three MSW management scenarios. The first, called Base Scenario (SB), corresponded to that practiced in Humaitá: collection of MSW from the urban area, logistic, and disposal in landfill. The second scenario (S1) corresponded to SB and the collection of waste generated on indigenous lands in that municipality. The third scenario (S2) corresponded to S1, excluding organic waste, which would be destined for composting on indigenous lands. The base scenario totalled an emission of 1,539 t CO2eq.year-1. Collecting solid waste from indigenous lands would increase these GHG emissions by 5.2% (S1) and 0.9% (S2) in relation to SB. The decentralized management of organic waste through composting associated with the separation and storage of dry waste would reduce the burning of waste in indigenous areas, their environmental vulnerability and promote the inclusion of these peoples.

New records of Odonata (Insecta) for the extreme northwest of the Brazilian Amazon

Brazil hosts a wide range of Odonata species, including many hitherto unde¬scribed ones, especially in remote and unexplored regions where logistics are difficult. The northwestern Brazilian Amazon is an example of this situation, and many locations still need to be sampled there and have their taxonomic inventories compiled. Against this background, this study aimed to survey the Odonata species in the municipality of São Ga¬briel da Cachoeira, located in the extreme northwest of the Western Amazon. The survey was conducted at 11 water bodies, where 67 Odonata species were recorded, including four new records for the state of Amazonas and seven new records for Brazil. Pioneering studies like this are important for enhancing our understanding of the region’s biodiversity and contribute to conservation efforts.

Scaling up antivenom for snakebite envenoming in the Brazilian Amazon: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Snakebite envenoming (SBE) affects nearly three million people yearly, causing up to 180,000 deaths and 400,000 cases of permanent disability. Brazil's state of Amazonas is a global hotspot for SBE, with one of the highest annual incidence rates per 100,000 people, worldwide. Despite this burden, snake antivenom remains inaccessible to a large proportion of SBE victims in Amazonas. This study estimates the costs, and health and economic benefits of scaling up antivenom to community health centers (CHCs) and hospitals in the state. We built a decision tree model to simulate three different antivenom scale-up scenarios: (1) scale up to 95% of hospitals, (2) scale up to 95% of CHCs, and (3) scale up to 95% of hospitals and 95% of CHCs. We consider each scenario with and without a 10% increase in demand for antivenom among SBE victims. For each scenario, we model the treatment costs averted, deaths averted, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted from a societal, health system, and patient perspective relative to the status quo and over a time horizon of one year. For each scenario and perspective, we also calculate the incremental cost per DALY averted and per death averted. We use a willingness to pay threshold equal to the 2022 gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of Brazil. Scaling up antivenom to 95% of hospitals averts up to 2022 DALYs, costs up to USD $460 per DALY averted from a health system perspective, but results in net economic benefits up to USD $4.42 million from a societal perspective. Scaling up antivenom to 95% of CHCs averts up to 3179 DALYs, costs up to USD $308 per DALY averted from a health system perspective, but results in net economic benefits up to USD $7.35 million from a societal perspective. Scaling up antivenom to 95% of hospitals and CHCs averts up to 3922 DALYs, costs up to USD $328 per DALY averted from a health system perspective, but results in net economic benefits up to USD $8.98 million from a societal perspective. All three antivenom scale up scenarios - scale up to 95% of hospitals, scale up to 95% of CHCs, and scale up to 95% of hospitals and 95% of CHCs - avert a substantial proportion of the SBE burden in Amazonas and are cost-saving from a societal perspective and cost-effective from a health system perspective. W.M. and J.S. were funded by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq productivity scholarships). W.M. was funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (PRÓ-ESTADO, call n. 011/2021-PCGP/FAPEAM, call n. 010/2021-CT&I ÁREAS PRIORITÁRIAS, call n. 003/2022-PRODOC/FAPEAM, POSGRAD/FAPEAM) and by the Ministry of Health, Brazil (Proposal No. 733781/19-035). Research reported in this publication was supported by the Fogarty International Center of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R21TW011944. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Fauna of metazoan parasites of Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Castelnau, 1855) sold at fairs in the city of Manaus, state of Amazonas, Brazil

Pterygoplichthys pardalis is an endemic as well as economically important fish species in the Amazon basin. Thirty P. pardalis specimens were purchased at assorted fairs in the city of Manaus. Fish were necropsied, and then, had their organs investigated for parasites. The identified parasites were observed under Light bright field microscopy and that of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Through the analyses it was observed 219 metazoan parasite specimens, belonging to four taxonomic groups: Monogenoidea, Digenea, Acanthocephala, and Copepoda. Six metazoan parasitic species were identified: Monogenoidea Unilatus unilatus Mizelle and Kritsky, 1967 and Copepoda Therodamas elongatus (Thatcher, 1986) from the gills, Digenea Austrodiplostomum compactum (Lutz, 1928), Megacoelium spinicavum Szidat, 1954 and Diplostomum sp. from the eyes, stomach, and gonads, respectively, and Acanthocephala Gorytocephalus elongorchis Thatcher, 1979 from the intestine. Gorytocephalus elongorchis was the one presenting the highest prevalence value, followed by digeneans M. spinicavum, Diplostomum sp., and A. compactum. The present study has come to provide the very first SEM M. spinicavum, G. elongorchis, and T. elongatus images, thus improving on the up to now available data addressing P. pardalis parasitic fauna, which has been found to be infecting, the fish species presently being marketed in Manaus. Moreover, the current survey has demonstrated the identified parasite species pose no public health concern at all.

Entangled collectives: riverine people, landscapes, and emerged infrastructures on a climate change background

ABSTRACT This article seeks to discuss the associations elaborated by riverine interlocutors between infrastructures and the landscape in which they occur, within the context of climate change in the Brazilian state of Amazonas. Here, we debate the relational character of infrastructures, and how they act as important markers of river seasonality, landscape, people’s existence, and practices from the perspective of the accessed riverine people. This paper’s discussion is supported by qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and field notes from two riverine communities in the Amazonas state: Tumbira and Lago do Catalão. Inspired by authors who dialogue with Social Studies of Science and Technology and discuss infrastructures, their effects, their relational and ontological character, we seek to identify entanglements of landscape and infrastructure, and their implications in the practices and ways of living of riverine Amazonian people. Elements such as gas pipelines, power transmission lines, hydroelectric plants, cargo ships, and highways emerge, affect, and are affected in these entangled landscapes in the eyes of the riverine people. They merge with other entanglements such as the rivers and creeks that perform the riverine landscape and life. Thus, they induce reflections on such relationships and the affectations permeated by fears, wishes, and (dis)trust of their operation.

Climate zoning: identifying suitable regions for the occurrence of Alternaria Brown spot in tangerine trees in Brazil.

Brazilian citrus farming has been migrating to nontraditional citrus-growing regions, which can be considered a challenge for citrus growers, as not all these areas are suitable for tangerine cultivation. Thus, the mapping of regions exhibiting favorable climatic conditions for Alternaria brown spot has become crucial in the selection of appropriate locations for the establishment of new orchards. This mapping enables the implementation of an avoidance strategy, which entails steering clear of areas where the disease is prevalent, aligning with fundamental principles of disease control. Thus, this study seeks to zone areas with high and low climatic favorability for the occurrence of Alternaria brown spot in tangerine trees in Brazil. Historical climate data series from the NASA-POWER database were used for all municipalities in Brazil. Agrometeorological variables used to determine the development of Alternaria brown spot were average monthly air temperature (Tmean) and duration of leaf wetness period (LWD). Areas were considered unsuitable climatically when Tmean was <17 °C or >33 °C, relatively suitable when Tmean was between 13 °C and 33 °C and LWD <10%, and climatically suitable when Tmean was between 13 °C and 33 °C and LWD >10%. The states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul showed greater thermal amplitude within months and throughout the year. The southern region of the country has harsher winters, with minimum temperatures below 15 °C, which is unfavorable for the disease incidence. The states with the greatest favorability for Alternaria brown spot were Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul, mainly from May to September. Rio Grande do Sul was the state in this region that showed the greatest favorability, as a consequence of leaf wetness exceeding 10 h. The main tangerine-producing regions in Brazil, including the southern part of Minas Gerais, the state of São Paulo and the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, were mostly classified as relatively favorable areas for the occurrence of Alternaria brown spot. It is recommended that when establishing new tangerine orchards, regions with lower favorability for the occurrence of Alternaria brown spot, such as the North and Central-West regions of Brazil, particularly the states of Amazonas, Pará and Mato Grosso, should be selected. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

POSSIBLE SUSTAINABLE MEASURES TO BE APPLIED IN THE COMMUNITY OF LAGO DO CATALÃO IN IRANDUBA, BRAZIL

This investigation addressed the environment where residents of the Lago do Catalão Community live in the municipality of Iranduba, in the state of Amazonas, from the sustainability perspective. The justification is that it is in a floodplain, subject to the Solimões River's seasonality since it is a completely floating community. In this sense, this work presents possible sustainable measures that can be applied in this community. We used the observation method to analyze sustainable activities in the community and their implications for the implementation of ecological actions, investigating the reason for failures in conducting ecological movements in the community so that sustainable practice options could be suggested for residents, considering that the community is a crossroads for tourist routes. The steps of the method were a) collecting data about the community, b) conducting dialogues with the community representative, c) identifying the main difficulties in implementing sustainable projects, d) analyzing these difficulties, and e) designing solutions capable of overcoming these difficulties. The results showed that a) an experimental structure for a dry toilet in the community was created and approved, b) a river water treatment system for domestic consumption was proposed, c) another proposal was the implementation of Handy Pod systems to filter wastewater and c) the implementation of aquatic macrophytes was suggested for phytoremediation of the area. The conclusion shows that the waters are the primary source of life for everyone in the community; as they get their food from them, through them, they move around, and around them, their lives revolve and constantly adapt to their reality. Therefore, caring for and preserving rivers and lakes is necessary. Each Lago do Catalão community resident is aware of their responsibility towards their environment.

Selection of suppliers in a bioindustry in the Amazon using the saw, topsis and promethee II methods combined with fuzzy logic

The production chain of bioindustry in the state of Amazonas is characterized by the use of products of Amazonian biodiversity and biotechnology in its production processes. An important difficulty faced by the region's biocompanies is identifying good suppliers of inputs of the Amazon biodiversity to attend to their industrial processes. The objective of this work was to propose a multi-criteria analysis model to support decision making for the selection of suppliers of a bioindustry. To this end, an exploratory research was conducted, with a quantitative approach, whose main procedures were: bibliographic research, case study and operational research. The procedure for selecting suppliers was structured in five stages, the results of which indicated supplier A2, through the individual methods, and supplier A1, through the combined methods, to be chosen. The use of fuzzy logic, combined with the proposed methods, was necessary to deal with judgments under high uncertainty. Due to the characteristics of the problem and the quality described in the literature, the Fuzzy-TOPSIS method for selecting suppliers of this nature is proposed.

COVID-19, necropolitics and female prisons in the State of Amazonas

Resumo O Estado em seu discurso de proteção aos seus cidadãos e da necessidade do encarceramento em massa, utiliza-se dos poderes inerentes a ele, para abreviar direitos e conduzi-los de modo que a desigualdade estrutural acabe por ampliar os efeitos do vírus dentro das prisões. Diante disto, este estudo tem como objetivo trazer uma reflexão sobre biopolítica, biopoder e necropolítica nas prisões femininas do estado do Amazonas e como este conceito foi aguçado na crise de saúde pública causada pela pandemia de Covid-19. Trata-se de uma revisão de literatura, de cunho exploratório-descritivo, através de uma abordagem qualitativa. O período estudado compreende os anos de 2020 a 2022, auge da crise da Covid-19 em todo o planeta. Os resultados apontam para um regime necropolítico de atenção à saúde criando historicamente nos estabelecimentos penais um ambiente não propício a condições dignas de vida, tampouco apto para retardar a morte.

Life purpose before and during the covid-19 pandemic in elderly physical activity practitioners in the interior of Amazonas state: a longitudinal study

Introduction: the aging that happens in the world is already a reality in remote and fast areas of the interior of Amazonas; with the population increasing each day more longevous, it is necessary to understand the aging process in these regions where the practice of physical activity is a reality, it was described the presence of life purpose in a group of older people who practice physical activity in the community. Objective: we investigated the presence of life purpose in older people who practiced physical activity before and during the covid-19 pandemic in the interior of Amazonas. Methods: this longitudinal study was conducted with 63 older people who practiced physical activity in a group before and during the covid 19 pandemic in the countryside of Amazonas. Sociodemographic and health characteristics were assessed, as well as well-being and life direction, through the life purpose questionnaire. Results: the elderly in this study have been followed since 2019; before the covid 19 pandemic struck the world, they practiced regular physical activity and had to temporarily suspend their training during the critical period of the pandemic. The group is composed mainly of older adults between the ages of 60 and 79; most are illiterate, have an income of not even one minimum wage, report living with someone, and say their vision as the regular or poor yet still present presence of life purpose and life direction. Conclusion: during the Covid-19 pandemic and social isolation, the elderly had a reduced perception of purpose in life, although they reported joy and satisfaction with life.

Health risk assessment and quality reference values of potentially toxic elements in soils of the Southwestern Amazonas State – Brazil

The geochemical processes involved in the Amazon soils formation are not totally understood because its geological and pedological features were formed during different geological events and different times. The Southwestern region of Amazonas State is an example of a region where the soils were developed from rocks formed by sedimentary processes and, nowadays, the soils continue receiving seasonal inputs from the Andes sediments. Data on geochemical patterns of this region are scarce, and there is no information about the possible effects of the natural or unnatural enrichment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Thus, this study represents the first research into the geochemical patterns of PTEs in soils of Southwestern Amazonas State. Further, we carried out a human health risk assessment and a proposal for Quality Reference Values (QRV) for thirteen PTEs (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, V, Zn and Zr). Our findings showed that the PTEs contents in soil samples collected in the lowland areas are strongly influenced by sediments inputs, while samples localized in the highland areas are weakly influenced by sediments inputs and present depletion of PTEs. Barium, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb were the PTEs most influenced by sediment's deposition. The soil contamination assessment showed the existence of enrichment of the potentially toxic elements in soil samples, which may be a consequence of the natural inputs of the Andean sediments. Furthermore, Co and Cr exceed the safety zone for carcinogenic risk assessment, which indicates the need to monitor these elements and their possible effects on the health of the population in this region.

First record and description of the female genitalia of Palingonalia subta Freytag &amp;amp; Vargas, 2007 (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Cicadellini) from Amazonas state, Brazil, and distribution map for the genus

Palingonalia Young, 1977 is a small, poorly known genus of Neotropical leafhoppers comprising only three described species. Here, we describe for the first time the female genitalia of Palingonalia and provided the first record of P. subta Freytag &amp; Vargas, 2007 from Amazonas state, Brazil. Additionally, a distributional map for the genus, discussion about its distribution, and key to species are provided.

Behaviour, Practices and Attitudes of Farmers Regarding the use of Pesticides at the Agricultural Frontier in the South of the Amazon State

Purpose: Study the pesticides used on the agricultural frontier in Amazonas and evaluate the behavior, practices and attitudes of farmers in relation to the storage, handling and disposal of pesticide packaging. Method: 89 interviews were carried out between 2020 and 2021 with pesticide applicators living in five municipalities in the south of Amazonas. The behavior of farmers in relation to health and environmental protection was evaluated. We determined the correlation between health behavior and environmental protection with the variables: age, education, income, label reading and technical assistance, using the Spearman Rho test and the Cochran test. Results and conclusion: The majority of farmers use PPE incompletely (79%) or do not use any form of protection, store pesticides inappropriately, dispose of packaging incorrectly or do not receive technical assistance. A total of 42% of farmers demonstrated unsafe health care behavior. In terms of environmental protection, 35% of farmers demonstrate behaviors that potentially promote environmental risks. It is urgent to reverse this trend through the implementation of public policies that include free technical support programs for small, low-income farmers. Educational programs that provide information on the correct use of pesticides and environmental and health risks must be adapted to the local reality. Research implications: The contribution of the research is knowledge of the use of pesticides in the South of Amazonas, demonstrating that in addition to the environmental and health problems caused by deforestation and fires in the agricultural frontier of the Brazilian Amazon, a new problem may arise: environmental and human contamination. by pesticides used on crops and pastures. Originality value: This research is original and demonstrates the ways in which pesticides are used in the agricultural frontier of southern Amazonas, as well as its main implications.

Relationship between the colours of the rivers in the Amazon and the incidence of malaria

BackgroundMalaria is transmitted by different Anopheles species. In Brazil, the disease is concentrated in the Amazon region. Rivers play an important role in the life cycle of malaria since the vector reproduces in aquatic environments. The waters of the rivers in the Amazon have distinct chemical characteristics, which affect the colour of the water and therefore, the study analysed whether the colour of the waters of the rivers have an on influence the distribution of malaria. The goal of the study was to correlate the different colourations of the water (black, white and mixed water) and the malaria incidence in 50 municipalities of the Amazonas state, Brazil, and then test hypotheses about the characteristics of the colour of the rivers and disease incidence.MethodsThis study was conducted for a period of seventeen years (2003–2019) in 50 municipalities in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. A conditionally Gaussian dynamic linear model was developed to analyse the association of malaria incidence and three types of river colour: white, black and mixed.ResultsThe analyses indicate that the distribution of malaria is related to the colouration of the rivers. The results showed that places located near black-water rivers have a higher malaria incidence when compared to places on the banks of white-water rivers.ConclusionsHistorically, the hydrological regime has played an important role in the dynamics of malaria in the Amazon, but little is known about the relationship between river colours and the incidence of the disease. This research was carried out in a region with hydrographic characteristics that were heterogeneous enough to allow an analysis that contrasted different colours of the rivers and covered almost the whole of the state of Amazonas. The results help to identify the places with the highest risk of malaria transmission and it is believed that they will be able to contribute to more precise planning of actions aimed at controlling the disease in the region.

Application of data science in the prediction of solar energy for the Amazon basin: a study case

Abstract The need for renewable energy sources has challenged most countries to comply with environmental protection actions and to handle climate change. Solar energy figures as a natural option, despite its intermittence. Brazil has a green energy matrix with significant expansion of solar form in recent years. To preserve the Amazon basin, the use of solar energy can help communities and cities improve their living standards without new hydroelectric units or even to burn biomass, avoiding harsh environmental consequences. The novelty of this work is using data science with machine-learning tools to predict the solar incidence (W.h/m²) in four cities in Amazonas state (north-west Brazil), using data from NASA satellites within the period of 2013–22. Decision-tree-based models and vector autoregressive (time-series) models were used with three time aggregations: day, week and month. The predictor model can aid in the economic assessment of solar energy in the Amazon basin and the use of satellite data was encouraged by the lack of data from ground stations. The mean absolute error was selected as the output indicator, with the lowest values obtained close to 0.20, from the adaptive boosting and light gradient boosting algorithms, in the same order of magnitude of similar references.